What are Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Symptoms and How to Manage Them

Overview of the Disorder

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome refers to a disorder, where the maximum amount of blood accumulates in the area of your lower body when you stand. POTS problem thus leads to a sudden jump in your heartbeat or pulse rate. To understand the phenomenon, you should know the regular blood flow in humans.  

Accordingly, your blood flows in your body at a steady rate whether you stand, sit, lie down, or any other position. However, if the flow rate changes with your changing position, you may have the condition of OI or orthostatic intolerance. It is analogous to POTS and makes anyone feel lightheaded, dizzy, or fainted.

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome leads to a faster heartbeat, as your heart tries to get blood supply faster to your brain. In this case, the heart rate may hike by about 30 beats per minute when you stand. The sudden spike in heartbeat also causes a significant drop in your blood pressure.  

Symptoms of the Disorder

POTS may disturb the balance of your entire body. A few common Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome symptoms are as follows-

• Fainting or dizziness
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Blurry vision
• Bloating
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Belly pain
• Excessive or severe sweating
• Extreme fatigue
• Brain fog
• higher blood pressure
• Lower blood pressure
• Slower or faster heartbeat
• Feeling cold or hot
• Chest pain
• Insomnia
• Feeling jittery, nervous, or anxious
• Tremors or shaking feelings
• Body aches, headaches, and neck pain
• Presence of unusual color in feet and hands

Individuals may notice such problems when they stand in a queue or line, take a bath, or feel stressed. However, a few individuals may experience Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome symptoms after they have their regular meals. The reason is that the intestines require more blood at the time of digestion.

Causes and Risk Factors of POTS

Causes based on the Types of POTS

The underlying cause of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome depends on its types, which include the following-

Neuropathic Syndrome

Neuropathic syndrome damages your small fiber nerves, which are responsible for managing the flow of blood in your abdomen and other limbs.

Hypovolemic Syndrome

Individuals with hypovolemic syndrome often have abnormally low levels of blood.  

Hyperadrenergic Syndrome

People may have hyperadrenergic syndrome from relatively high levels of a stress hormone that refers to norepinephrine.

Causes of POTS due to Other Diseases and Conditions  

Many diseases and conditions may cause POTS, which include the following-

• Anemia or the condition, when your body fails to produce enough red blood corpuscles
• Lupus or any other autoimmune disorder
• Prediabetes and diabetes conditions  
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• The joint and muscle condition of Ehlers-Danlos
• Multiple sclerosis
• Mitral valve prolapses or click-murmur syndrome
• Hepatitis C, Lyme disease, or any other illness

POTS Risk Factors

• People with severe infections and head injuries remain at risk of developing POTS symptoms.  
• Women from 15 years to 50 years of age are likely to develop POTS. A few women may develop the problem during or after their pregnancy period.

Medications to Deal with POTS Symptoms

The FDA has not until now approved any specific medicine to treat or cure POTS. However, your healthcare provider may prescribe a few off-label medications to deal with certain symptoms. Such Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome medications are-

• Fludrocortisone increases the retention of salt and volume of blood
• Midodrine to facilitate the widespread vasoconstriction
• Pyridostigmine to reduce the problem of tachycardia
• Beta-blockers to reduce upright tachycardia

The main objectives of off-label Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome medications are as follows-

• Improvement in the volume of blood
• Helping your kidneys to retain the sodium content
• Reduction in your heart rate
• Blocking the adverse effects of any adrenal hormone on your heart
• Improvement in the constriction of your blood vessels

Other Treatments to Manage the Condition of POTS

Your healthcare provider will recommend a combination of exercises, diet, and hydration associated with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Treatment.

Diet and Hydration

Consuming enough fluids for the entire day is the foundation of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Treatment. For many patients, the goal is to intake a minimum of 2 liters of water in one day. You should also increase the salt content or salty foods in your daily diet. For this, you should get some salt tablets or saltshakers. Such dietary changes will let you store water in your bloodstream and allow a relatively larger amount of blood to reach the brain and the heart.

Physical and/or Aquatic Therapy

A few patients may overcome their symptoms with regular physical therapy. However, POTS symptoms may sometimes become worse with physical exercises. In such situations, you should start physical therapy slowly and gradually advance according to your tolerance. Your intensity to be involved in physical exercises will increase gradually as your blood circulation boosts with regular diet and medications.

The main objective is to retrain your autonomic nervous system to be involved in more exercise and to improve blood volume. If you cannot stand upright, start exercising in a recline or horizontal position. Moreover, a few patients may benefit via aquatic therapy, as the water creates pressure across their body.

Conclusion

The condition of POTS and its symptoms are manageable. Patients should work responsibly and regularly take advice from their healthcare providers about the right diet and therapies.